Hola Todos!
One week left! When I first arrived to Spain, I immediately fell in love. I will admit, however, that my first week here I did become a bit sick. I had to adjust to all of the differences such as altitude and the time difference (seven hours to be exact). But that didn’t ruin my experience; it actually made it better. The people here are very caring. When I didn’t feel good, they went above and beyond to make me feel better. They were also very helpful and supportive of me while I improved my Spanish.
My living arrangement has also been wonderful as well. I am staying in El Escorial Maria Cristina, an university in San Lorenzo where I am taking my classes. The building resembles a castle and I feel like a Princess <3! Also, I have an amazing view from my room. Our classes are downstairs so it’s not a huge hassle to wake up in the morning. The teachers are very sociable and involved with the students. They go the extra mile to explain everything to us and make sure our experience is wonderful.
Also, I have learned so much while staying here. Everything is just so different from the United States. There is so much history and culture on every corner. Within four weeks, I have traveled all around Spain, visiting many cities like Toledo, Segovia, Córdoba, Salamanca, and of course Madrid, just to name a few. Each city was different yet exciting. I have seen many of the important structures that I normally see in textbooks, such as monasteries, cathedrals, universities, royal palaces and historical landmarks. I have also visited different museums, hiked the mountains of Madrid, seen Flamenco dancers, watched a fútbol game of Real Madrid, and seen Lion King the musical in Spanish! This trip has been filled with wonderful memories that I will never be able to forget.
Amazing isn’t a word strong enough to express my study abroad experience. I have one more week left and I’m not quite ready to return. I am glad that I took the extra leap and visited a new country. One of my favorite quotes I have heard while in Spain is “Todo pasa y todo queda”. It explains my experience perfectly. Even though it has come to an end, Spain has definitely felt like a second home to me. And it will forever remain in my heart.
